Cat Passes Go in Monopoly

Feb. 6, 2013 10:22 a.m. ET

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Hasbro, the maker of Monopoly, said Wednesday that fans from more than 100 countries had voted online to add a new cat token to the property-trading game. Voting closed just before midnight on Tuesday; it was the first time fans had a say on the tokens.
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The cat replaces the iron token, which got the boot in online voting. Most of the original pieces were introduced with the first Parker Brothers iteration of the game in 1935.
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Contenders for the new game piece included this robot. Hasbro gave fans a choice between five potential replacement tokens.
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Another contender was a guitar. The tokens represent players in the board game, which is based on the streets of Atlantic City, N.J.
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A diamond ring was also among the contenders for the new game piece. The tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from her bracelet as playing pieces.
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A helicopter token was in the running.
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The newest Monopoly token, a cat, sits on the board game next to other tokens. The shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting, sparking passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens.
Steven Senne/Associated Press…